Ast of smoking- fish fillets



April 24, 1928. 1,667,574

- J. R. TURNER ART OF SMOKING FISH FILLETS Filed Oct. 29, 1927 Patented Apr. 24, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,667,574 P TENT] orr cs. L

James R. TURNER, orJnnsnY CITY, NEW JnasnY.

ART OF SMOKING FISH FILLETS.

Application filed October 29, 1927. Serial No. 229,544.

The invention relates to the production of si'noked fish tillets,.a pri'iductavlnch heretofore has not beenput on the'market by otl'iers in so far as I am aware, due to the difiicultyof adequately siu iporting the ten h=r lish pieces without injury or defacementduring the smoking treatment, and yet orposing fmnes. i

The primary object of the invention is to treat the lish fillets in such manner that lnoperly smoked l'illeted pieces may be produced without injury to or max-ring of the flesh, and within reasonable limits of expense. y I I a I. have found it to be prac! ical and satisfactory to deposit the fresh lilieted pieces upon o ')enwork backs or screei'is of line wire or the like, while the latter are in substantially horizontal position and then after permitting the piecesto set for a shorttime against the screens, to tilt the latter up at a relatively steep angle and subject them to the action of rising smoke fumes, with the result that the fumes, owing to the relatively steep inclination of the back or screen, act substantially imiformly on both sides of the lit.- leted pieces and also penetrate suiiiriently into the parts of the fillets which are in contact with the screen to avoid insutficiently smoked surfaces on the fillets Where they are in contact with the screen.

The fresh fillets appear to contain a certain amount of glue-like substance which causes them to adhere to the supporting screen after being in contact therewith for a few minutes, without objeetionably impressing or reproducing the pattern of the screen on the side of the fillets .in contact therewith, whereby after the fillets have set? as above described, the screen may be tilted up to an angle of more than 45 without the fillets slipping out of position. This fairly steep inclination permits the rising smoke fumes to act siiibstantially uniformly on both sides of the fillets.

The fillets will then he subjected for twelve to fifteen hours or more to the smoke fumes in a smoking chamber through which the fumes rise up vertically as above described.

I have also found that after the smoking treatment is completed the fillets may be removed from the screens without injury, even though substantially glued thereon on account of the adhesive liquid of the fish all parts oi. them adequately to the hardening onto the screen duringthe sn'ioking' treatn'ieut, by chilling the fillets to about 50 F. or under, while still carried by the screoi'i, and then stripping them. off.

In the drawinga- Fig. l is a sectional view showing several screens supported in the smoking house in position for the smoking operation.

Fig. 2 is a front view showing: on an enlarged scale one of the screens and its support.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 33 of Fig. 2.

In carrying out the invention I may employ a screen 1 of thin wire, as shown in Fig. 2, for exampie, ordinary chicken wire of inch or fl inch mesh, which is carried by a suitable frame 2. Preferably a plural- .ity of )artitions 3 are provided across the frame and the fillets l res 'iectively placed in the compartments thus 'fOllllG'cl. its above stated, the screen 1 will be placed in suhstantially horizontal position while the lillets are being placed thereon, and will be permitted to remain in horizontal position for a few minutes until set. The fillets, however, do not sink through the interstices of the screen to such an extent as to reproduce the pattern of the screen on the fillets, or otherwise deface them in such a way as to render them unmarketablei After the fillets have become set as above described, the screen may be'tilted up at a fairly steep angle above described, and hold in this position during the s1n0king treatment. As shown in Fig. 2, a plurality of the screens 1 are placed side by side in rows at different levels, the frames 2 being dctachably supported at their lower edges by tl-shaped clips 5 on cross pieces 6 as set forth in my copending application filer. No. $0,598, filed April 2, 1927. The smoking operatiol'i is preferably carried on in a closed chamber 7, having sawdust or the like smouldering at its bottom, whereby the smoke fumes rise up evenly and quietly between the adjacentscreens. The inclination of the screens should be at least in the neigl'iborl'ioml of 4:5" and preferably more in order that the fumes may act substantially uniformly on both sides of the fillets.

After the smoking operation is completed which usually takes fifteen hours or more, the screens are removed from the smoking chamber 7, at which time it will be found that the fillets are quite securely stuck to the screen, and I then chill the fillets, still carrieclby the screens, in any suitable manner, to at least 40 or 50 F. and preferably down to the freezing point of Water, after which I have found that the smoked fillets may be strippedtrom off the screens Without in- 'ury.' i

f'lmolced fillets may thus be produced which are uniformly smoked on both sides and Without objectionable injury to or n'iarring of the surface of the fillet which is in contact with, the screen;

lWhile a specific procedure has been described above it will be obvious that many changes may be made therein Without departing from ts essentials as set forth inthe While the screen is in substantially horizontal position, then tilting the screen to a steeply inclined position and passing smoke. fumes upwardly past both sides of the screen.

2. The process of producing sn'iolced fish fillets, which comprises placing fresh fillets upon a screen and setting them thereon while the screen is in substantially horizontal position, then tilting; the screen to a steeply inclined position and passing smoke fumes upwardly past both sides of the screen, chillingthe fillets while still carried by the screen to a temperature of about 50 F. or under, and then stril'ipinn the fillets from off the screen.

In testimony that I claim the tm-egoinn; l have hereunto set my hand this 19th day of Octobeu 1927.

J A MRS R. TURNER. 

